


Almost Heaven (In Your Arms)

by MyJediLife



Category: Logan Lucky (2017), Star Wars - All Media Types
Genre: Clyde Logan Needs a Hug, Clyde Logan is a Good Boyfriend, Clyde Logan is a shy shy bunny, Clyde Logan is a sweet Southern man, Clyde wants Rey to burn his bacon, Eventual Happy Ending, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, F/M, Fake Marriage, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Mellie Logan is a matchmaker, Mellie Magic, Mutual Pining, Rey Needs A Hug, Rey wants to burn Clyde's bacon, Reylogan, Slow Burn, Southern Gentleman Clyde Logan, SwoloFic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-16
Updated: 2019-07-05
Packaged: 2020-03-06 11:39:14
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,373
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18850333
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MyJediLife/pseuds/MyJediLife
Summary: Rey Sands has a past, a past that forces her to move to Boone County under the Witness Protection Program.When she meets Clyde Logan, she realizes that maybe there is hope for her - but can she live a new life while looking over her shoulder for shades from her past?





	1. Country Roads, Take Me Home

**Author's Note:**

  * For [RebelRebel](https://archiveofourown.org/users/RebelRebel/gifts).



> This is for one of our wonderful Headmistresses, Lindsay (rebelrebel), who also wrote one of my favorite ReyLogan fics, Boon, for House Swolo's 'Mistress May I' event for May 2019!
> 
> Thank YOU for everything you do for the Den, Lindsay! I hope you enjoy this!
> 
> Thanks to my Beta/Moodboard artist: [Azuwrite](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Azuwrite).. maybe someday I'll get you to watch LL.... and I hope your next child is a boy! LOL
> 
> Also, this is based on a prompt in TWD given by [Azuwrite](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Azuwrite): "rey comes into a bar and is hit on by a total creep. He won’t leave her alone. The bar tender (ben) tells the creep that that’s his wife then takes her to the other side of the bar while the bouncer takes him out. Later, said fake husband becomes real husband"

[](https://imgur.com/209BRyE)

_ Boone County, West Virginia. _

 

It felt like nowhere to her. As the small, silver Honda pulled into the driveway of a tiny, nondescript home, Rey looked over at the man beside her, sighing as she asked, “Of all the places you could leave me – you chose  _ here _ ?”

 

“Anonymity, Miss Sands. They did explain all that in your briefing, correct?” The man looked at her briefly as he put the car in park, and Rey chewed on her bottom lip before nodding.

 

“Never contact anyone from my old life. No family. No friends. Get a job. Blend in. Live a normal and benign life, like nothing ever happened before – and call my handler if anything seems off.” Rey ticked off the mental checklist as she spoke. Her true name wasn’t Rey Sands, of course, but she tried not to think about her old life.

 

_ I suppose this is one way to get the government to buy you a house and a car _ , Rey thought to herself wryly.  _ Just watch your boyfriend get murdered in front of your eyes by a crooked cop deeply involved in the mafia, and then testify against him. Easy peasy. _

 

The rumble of a moving truck behind them pulled her from her silent musings, and as the Agent posing as a friend helping her move got out of the car, Rey also exited, sliding a pair of sunglasses over her eyes to combat the late morning sunshine.

 

Perfect.

 

The US government was rewarding her testimony with a thousand bucks a month, a house, a car… and life in a nowhere Southern town where she didn’t know a soul.

 

Rey hated to think what the government did with their enemies.

 

With a sigh, she headed inside to look at the house. The least the FBI Agents with her could do is unload the damn moving truck.

 

….

 

Clyde Logan sat on the front porch of his sister’s house, a book open across his lap and a cup of coffee in his good hand. He was waiting for Jimmy and Sylvie to drop off Sadie, so that they could go to the library before heading to Clyde’s house for the day. Mellie, Jimmy and Sylvie were all working, and Moody and Bobbie Jo were going away for the weekend without the kids – meaning someone had to watch Sadie while they were gone.

 

Clyde didn’t mind – he loved his niece, and spending time with her was usually fun. Except for that one time when she was five, and he’d woken up to her painting his toenails pink – after she had put makeup on him.

 

He’d never live that one down.

 

“Well, would ya look at that? Someone’s movin’ into the old Murphy place! ‘Bout damn time, dontcha think?” Mellie Logan stepped onto the porch, looking across the street and bouncing on her feet excitedly. One hand came out to smack at her brother’s shoulder playfully, eliciting a grunt from Clyde – who needed another cup of coffee before he was fully functioning for the day.

 

“Uh huh,” Clyde said, not looking up from his book.

 

“Clyde Logan! Ya know we gotta go say hello and introduce ourselves! Our Momma taught us how to be polite!”

 

“Aw, Mel, they ain’t even got the truck unloaded yet. We can wait until they get settled in,” Clyde mumbled, looking up to see a man unlocking the back of a U-Haul and pushing the door upwards. He could feel his sister practically vibrating with excitement, and Clyde just shook his head, his attention going back to his book.

 

Mellie would do what she wanted – she always had, she always would.

 

“Maybe some cute little gal will move in there, Clyde, then I can finally get ya settled down with someone! Eligible bachelor like you and all, ya need to be gettin’ married and havin’ babies – carryin’ on the Logan name and all!” Mellie looked at her brother before shaking her head slightly, her eyes watching the activity across the street curiously.

 

Clyde grunted in reply to his sister, trying to ignore her excitement as he focused on reading and coffee – the two things in life he could depend on.

 

….

 

It took Rey only a day and a half to unpack after the agents had unloaded everything from the moving van, and Rey had never felt so alone. She sat on her front porch, trying to decide her next moves as she nursed her second cup of coffee.

 

She didn’t expect the brunette whirlwind that started across the street at a determined pace, a wide smile on her face.

 

“Hi there! I been waitin’ for ya to get settled in so I could come say hello and introduce myself! My name’s Mellie Logan, and I live across the street! How are ya gettin’ on with the unpackin’?”

 

“Uh… I’m done? N-nice to meet you, Mellie. I’m Rey Sands.” Rey tried her best to act friendly, even though she was panicking inside. What if this woman – who seemed sweet and nice enough – was a plant by the mob to find her?

 

Rey would always be looking over her shoulder now, no matter what her handlers told her.

“Well, nice to meet ya, Rey. I made ya some brownies, to welcome ya to the neighborhood. We got a lot of good folk around here, I think you’ll like it well enough. So, where’d ya move here from? Ya got a family with ya?” Mellie tried to peer inside the house as stealthily as she could, looking for any signs of a male presence. Finding none on her cursory, short search, Mellie almost smirked, looking over Rey once more.

 

Of course, she had the perfect man in mind for her if she was single.

 

Now, to use some of her Mellie Magic to make it work…

 

….

 

Three hours later, as Rey watched her neighbor walk across the street back to her house, she wondered if Mellie Logan was always such a bundle of energy. Rey normally didn’t connect with many people, she was reserved and quiet, shy almost to the point of being mute – but talking to Mellie was easy, and her Southern charm and quick wit had almost immediately put Rey at ease.

 

She felt like she had made a friend, for the first time in a long time.

 

Since Poe’s murder two years ago, Rey had always looked over her shoulder no matter where she was, wondering if she was being watched, being followed. The weight was so great that sometimes she felt like she couldn’t breathe, the crippling panic attacks rendering her unable to do anything but concentrate on breathing until she was able to move again.

 

She still dreamt about it – every single night.

 

Standing, Rey made her way back inside finally, coffee cup and pan of brownies in hand. Mellie had offered a possible lead on a job – tending bar at some place called the Duck Tape. The name made her want to giggle, it was a ridiculous name for a drinking establishment! Of course, in Boston, everything was named after something Irish practically, so she supposed that it wasn’t too awful.

 

Looking around her empty house, Rey sighed before going to her bedroom to make sure she looked presentable enough to apply for a job. She had a Master’s degree in Engineering, so working as a bartender was never really anything Rey had given thought to since graduating from college – but she couldn’t think about that.

 

She had been forced to leave her old life behind.

 

….

 

_ “Finn…” _

 

_ “Yeah, Peanut?” _

 

_ Rey fidgeted as she looked around Finn and Rose’s living room, their daughter, Paige  – her Goddaughter – was sleeping in a bassinet beside her father. She looked into her best friend’s eyes, knowing that after today, she would never see him again. She’d never be able to watch Paige grow up, or watch Finn and Rose have more babies. _

 

_ First she had lost Poe – now she was losing the only family she had ever had. _

 

_ “H-how can I do this? After… everything?” _

 

_ Finn looked up at her, then at the two FBI agents who waited patiently just inside the doorway for them to say their goodbyes. _

 

_ “I don’t know, Peanut. Just… maybe… look up at the sky at night and now we’re still out here, and we can see the same stars you can. We’ll always be here, and I will miss you forever. You did the right thing, Peanut. Poe’s killer had to be put away.” _

 

_ “I know. I love you, Finn.” She threw her arms around Finn, holding him tightly for a long time as she let the tears fall down her face. When she looked up, sniffling, Rose was standing next to her husband, giving her a soft, sad smile. She threw her arms around her next, both women letting the tears fall for a long time before one of the agents cleared their throats loudly. _

 

_ “I love you both, so much,” she said as she bent down to give Paige a kiss. “And I love you too, little girl. Grow up proud and strong… and make sure you kick some ass when you have to. Be fierce.” _

 

_ With tears streaming down her face, she looked at her family one last time as the agents escorted her out the door and to a waiting car. _

 

_ “I love you,” she whispered as they drove away. _

 

….

 

The Duck Tape was… not what she expected.

 

Of course, Rey had no experience with small, Southern towns either. Maybe this was the norm – yet she had expected something smaller, maybe? A bit more worn down? The Duck Tape was well-maintained, with an inviting porch and a colorful neon sign.

 

By the sheer number of cars in the parking lot – it seemed it was a popular bar, as well.

 

Rey found a spot to park in, next to a shiny Dodge Challenger that looked out of place amongst the trucks and older model muscle cars parked in the lot, and as she walked inside, she was once again stunned as she took in the warm wood walls and flooring of the bar, the ceiling fans and warm, polished bartop making it feel homey – and while she had been ready to hear the jukebox playing awful country music as people two-stepped on the dance floor – instead, she was met with the soft sounds of a Lynyrd Skynyrd song as people talked in low tones and enjoyed their drinks.

 

The man behind the bar immediately greeted her as she approached, offering her a small smile as he asked, “What can I get ya, ma’am?” His voice was a low, dulcet tone that immediately sent shivers down her spine for some reason. He had the kind of voice that Rey would have gladly listened to reading the phone book, or preaching at her about why she was going to hell for all her sins – or purring at her as they fell into bed together.

 

She blushed as she looked at him, giving him a smile of her own. “I, um-“

 

“Why, hello there, pretty thing! You don’t look like you belong here either, in this Podunk little bar!” Rey was positive this man was the owner of the shiny Dodge from outside, and she rolled her eyes as he made a show of looking her over from head to toe, leaning forward and saying in what she was certain he  _ thought _ was a whisper, “How about you and me get a table together and get to know each other?”

 

“Yeah, no thanks,” Rey replied, looking back at the bartender. “I was told to-“

 

The annoying drunk stepped in front of her and the bar now, effectively blocking her view of the tall man she had been  _ trying  _ to communicate with. “Come on, gorgeous. You don’t belong here with these people. You belong at a table with me. We can talk, get to know each other…” The man ran one finger down her arm softly, smiling at her. “I’m really nice…”

 

All of a sudden, the air shifted around her in an almost violent manner, and the bartender was standing beside her, his hand grabbing hers as he led her down the bar. “Leave my  _ wife _ alone, buddy.”

 

….

 

Clyde had never been able to stomach a woman being manhandled, or being treated as anything other than a lady. His daddy had raised him right, of course, and as Clyde watched the drunk out-of-towner approach Mellie’s pretty across-the-street neighbor, he felt his left eye twitching as the obnoxious fool refused to let her get a word out of her mouth without trying to garner her attention.

 

_ Well, this just ain’t gonna do… _ Clyde thought to himself as the man reached out, running a finger down the woman’s arm. He rounded the bar, his hand reaching out to grabs hers as he said the first thing that came to his mind to deter the man from any further badgering of her – “Leave my  _ wife _ alone, buddy.”

 

Clyde’s face instantly flushed as he guided the woman to the end of the bar. As they walked, the drunken fool called out, “You aren’t wearing a wedding ring, pretty girl. What are you doing married to someone like him, anyways?”

 

Clyde stopped, the eye twitching returning and his lower jaw working as he tried to contain his anger and annoyance. Why couldn’t he get a girl like her, anyways? And then he remembered – he was Clyde Logan, and she was beautiful – and way out of his league.

 

The girl stopped, looking up at him and  _ winking _ before putting her arms around him and pressing her body to his. “I am married to him, you bottom-dwelling slimeball, because he is  _ fantastic _ in bed, and I am certain you lack the same…” Rey let her eyes travel down his body as she looked under Clyde’s arm at the other man, stopping on his zipper before continuing, “ _ brawn _ as my husband.”

 

Clyde’s face went completely red now, and as the woman turned and grabbed his hand again, saying loudly, “Come on, dear, I need to speak to you,” Clyde finally remembered how to use his feet, and he guided her to the end of the bar. As she slid onto a barstool, she smirked at him.

 

“Thanks for saving me,  _ husband _ .”

 

Clyde just nodded, his brain refusing to remember how to use words just yet. Looking over at one of his old classmates – who used to be a linebacker on the football team and now worked as an impromptu bouncer for him if needed, Clyde looked pointedly at the annoying man before lifting his chin towards the door to indicate that he should be escorted out of the bar.

 

Finally, when he could articulate sounds into coherent words, he looked back at the woman once more, offering her a gentle smile as he walked back around the bar and asked, “Now, ya were sayin’, ma’am, before ya got so rudely interrupted?”

 

Rey watched the man as he went back around the bar. She hadn’t noticed he had an artificial lower arm before – where some people might be repulsed, she thought it added to the shy charm he seemed to ooze from every pore of his very tall, very well-built body.

 

“Yeah, I, um… do you know Mellie Logan?”

 

Clyde chuckled, and Rey couldn’t help but appreciate the way his soft whiskey eyes lit up when he did so. “Yeah, I know Mellie. My whole life, in fact.”

 

Rey glanced down to his left hand, making sure he wasn’t wearing a ring. A good-looking man like him must have a girlfriend, though, so Rey licked her lips nervously before carrying on. 

 

“She, she lives across the street from me. I just moved into town. She, um, she said I should come here and talk to someone named Clyde, and that he was looking for a new bartender.”

 

Clyde would have to remember to thank Mellie later for doing him a favor – even though she might be out of his league – if he was working with her, he could at least look at her… 

Sometimes. He didn’t want to come off as one of those creepy bosses, after all.

 

Letting a smirk lift one corner of his lips, Clyde leaned down and drawled, “Well, ma’am, you are in luck. I’m Clyde, and you’re hired. I figure since we’re  _ married _ and all, my  _ wife _ needs a proper job. Wouldn’t do to let her starve, now would it? What’s your name?”

 

Rey looked at him, her brain misfiring at how delicious he looked when he smiled. “Oh, yeah. Guess I should have introduced myself. Sorry. My name is Rey Sands. Your wife and new employee, apparently.” Rey stuck out one hand to Clyde, and was pleasantly surprised when his large, warm hand engulfed it in a handshake.

 

“Clyde Logan. Welcome to Boone County. Can you start work tomorrow?”

 

Rey nodded, giving Clyde a smile. “Yes. Yes I can.”

 

_ New life, new me. Leave the past behind, Rey. Kill it if you have to. Besides – the scenery around here isn’t half bad. _


	2. Broken, Beautiful Things

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Broken down cars and sleepovers happen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please check out my beta/moodboard artists stuff and give her some love! She's pretty amazeballs! [Azuwrite](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Azuwrite)
> 
> I have officially taken up permanent residence at the bottom of the Reylogan rabbit hole. Please throw down pictures of Clyde, Diet Dr. Pepper and chocolate to keep me alive. ;)

[](https://imgur.com/hUVN7MP)

Rey liked working at the Duck Tape. The patrons were friendly, and her boss was… well, he was  _ gorgeous _ . Whenever she could manage to pull a few words from him, Clyde’s voice drove her crazy, the low, dulcet tones coupled with the slow Southern drawl of his made her instantly wet. Working with a constant ache between her thighs had been distracting at first, but Rey grew accustomed to it.

 

If only she could get Clyde to talk to her more. Rey tried to initiate conversation with the man, but he would usually blush and mumble something about grabbing more beer from the beer cooler, or ‘seein’ to the ice machine’ or some such excuse. The fact of the matter was – Clyde Logan was the sweetest, most awkward bunny of a man that she had ever met. He was so different than Poe had been. Poe had always been confident and outspoken – the life of any party.

 

Thinking of Poe always reminded her that it was probably for the best that Clyde was so painfully shy. Even though she needed to try and fit in here in her new home, she wanted to stay distant as well. Her past could never catch up to her, because if it did, it could prove deadly not only to her, but to anyone close to her.

 

It was better for her to remain unattached – but she was  _ lonely _ . At least in her old life, she’d had Poe, and after he died she’d had Finn and Rose to cling to. Now she had no one – she was adrift in a strange, unforgiving ocean, and she desperately needed an anchor to keep her in place.

 

Rey wiped at her forehead, the heat of the West Virginia summer was a lot for her to take, even with the ceiling fans in the rafters working overtime. She wiped the counter down for what seemed like the thousandth time, the jukebox playing LANCO’s  _ Greatest Love Story _ softly, the hum of people talking and enjoying their drinks a good background for her introspection.

Sure, she and Mellie had become friends. It was hard not to like Mellie Logan – she was a whirlwind of energy, and it was infectious. Rey just wanted a connection. She missed the feeling of having someone she could count on, someone she could go to bed with at night and know they would never leave her. Poe had been that for her, and then he wasn’t. One ten second span had ripped away her security blanket, and her life had been nothing but madness since.

 

Glancing around, Rey saw that everyone was settled for drinks, and so she wandered to the small office, standing in the door and watching Clyde for a moment. He was engrossed in a book and didn’t notice her at first, but when he did his face colored and he closed his book, his eyes meeting hers. “Hey, Rey. What can I do for ya?”

 

“I…” Rey didn’t know, exactly, why she had come back here. “Nothing. Just wanted to say hello.” 

 

Rey shrugged, looking at the floor so she wouldn’t look into those delicious eyes of his. “W-“ Rey cleared her throat and tried again to start a conversation. “What are you reading?” Her eyes met his now, and he let a small smile come to his lips as he showed her the cover of the book.

 

“A Game of Thrones? Really? I figured you for the James Bond or Stephen King type.” Rey smiled back at him, glancing back at the bar to make sure everyone was still taken care of.

 

“I already read ‘em all. Read all of these too, but I like ‘em enough to read again.” He smirked now, and Rey felt her heart come to life in her chest, thumping wildly as she grinned back at him.

 

“Hey… Rey! Need another drink for me and Sylvie! Stop flirtin’ with my little brother, would ya?” Jimmy Logan’s voice rang out, and both Rey and Clyde rolled their eyes at the same time.

 

“Duty calls,” Rey said as she turned and went back to the bar, refilling Jimmy and Sylvie’s drinks and trying to ignore the smirk on his face.

 

“So, Rey, how ya likin’ Boone County so far?” Clyde’s older brother was smirking at her as she filled his drinks.

 

“I like it just fine, Jimmy, thank you for asking.” Rey finished filling the glasses, pushing them across the wooden bar towards Jimmy. Jimmy winked at her before leaning closer and saying softly, “My brother likes you somethin’ fierce. I can see it every time he looks at ya. Ya make him smile, and Clyde don’t do that much.”

 

Rey’s face colored as she did her best to keep her tone neutral. “I see.” Taking the bar cloth, she wiped at the wooden bar top, hoping Jimmy wouldn’t keep on his current course.

 

“And I think ya like him, too, dontcha? I see the way ya look at him when ya think he ain’t lookin’,” Jimmy continued, smirking even more as Rey’s face flushed more. “Thought so. Ya have a good night, Rey,” Jimmy limped away, going back to the table he occupied with his girlfriend.

 

“Yeah, you too,” Rey remarked, sighing as she resisted the urge to look back at the office.

 

Last call was always a crazy time, with everyone clamoring to get their last drinks of the night. Rey and Clyde worked in perfect harmony behind the bar to get everyone taken care of, and as the last person staggered out the door, Rey wiped the bar down one last time as Clyde cashed out the register and made sure everything was ready for opening the next day.

 

“Have a good night, Clyde,” Rey called over her shoulder as she walked towards the door.

 

“You too, Rey,” he called back, in that deliciously sinful voice of his.

 

….

 

She was a mile from home when her car died. No matter how hard she beat the steering wheel, no matter how much she cursed the stupid government for buying her a piece of shit car – it refused to come back to life. Sighing, Rey grabbed her purse and started walking towards her house after locking her car.

 

Luckily, she felt relatively safe, but she did have a small knife, which was now clutched in her hand. She wouldn’t be afraid to use it. After a quarter mile, the low rumble of a vehicle approaching came to her ears, and as the headlights came into view, Rey gripped the knife even tighter.

 

The truck slowed, and as it reached her, the window came down, and a very familiar voice said, “Rey? You okay? Climb on in, lemme get ya home. Ya shouldn’t be walkin’ down a dark road in the middle of the night!”

 

Rey was normally happy to see Clyde – and this time was definitely no exception. “Hey Clyde… are you sure it won’t be any trouble?” Rey opened the door to his truck and hopped in, looking at him and offering him a small smile.

 

“Nah, no trouble at all. I was already goin’ this way to go home.” Clyde smiled back at her, his warm whiskey eyes sparkling in the LED lights from the truck’s radio.

 

“Oh, okay then.” Rey smiled wider now as Clyde put the truck in gear and pulled back onto the road. Soon enough, he was pulling into her driveway, and Rey bit her bottom lip softly, the words tumbling from her lips before she gave them much thought.

 

“Clyde, why don’t you come in? I’m not really tired, and I’ll cook us some breakfast maybe? Please, as a thank you for picking me up on the road?” Rey was hopeful as she looked at him, watching as those dark eyes of his lit up with a new kind of light.

 

“I’d like that. Can ya burn me some bacon?” One corner of his mouth turned up in a smirk as he reached for his door handle, and Rey raised one eyebrow questioningly.

 

“What, exactly, do you mean by burning bacon?” Rey asked as she got out of her side of the truck. She looked at Clyde as he rounded the front of the truck, and his half-smirk turned into a full grin. There was nothing better in the world than seeing Clyde Logan smiling at her, his eyes twinkling with happiness.

 

“Exactly what it sounds like. Ya put the bacon in the pan and fry it until it is almost charred to a crisp. Then ya put it on a plate and I eat it.” Clyde’s grin was infectious now, and Rey found herself shaking her head and meeting his grin with one of her own.

 

“That sounds… really gross,” she laughed as she headed up the driveway to her front door.

 

“It ain’t for everyone, that’s for sure,” Clyde laughed as well, stepping inside her house after she had opened the door. He looked around, waiting politely for her to tell him where he should sit.

 

Rey threw her purse on the small table just inside her front door and headed into the kitchen to start preparations for cooking. When she looked up to find Clyde absent, her brows quirked, and she ducked back around the corner, a smile coming to her face as she saw him still waiting in her foyer.

 

_ So damn polite. What have I gotten myself into with him? _

 

“Clyde? Are you coming in?” Rey asked softly, his eyes moving from the floor to meet hers.

 

“Yeah, I was waitin’ for ya to tell me where ya wanted me to go.” Clyde was blushing –  _ again _ – and Rey tried to keep from giggling again.

 

“Well, how about you sit in the kitchen with me while I cook?” Rey suggested, motioning for him to follow her.

 

“I’d like that, thank you,” Clyde mumbled, running a hand through his long hair as he followed her, taking a seat at the small table. He did his best to not watch Rey as she moved about her kitchen, but he found his eyes following her more often than not.  _ Knock it off, Logan. No way ya could ever get a pretty gal like her. You’re broken goods… best to stick to your bar and your books. Safer that way too. _

 

The sizzling of bacon and eggs cooking was one of her favorite things, and it brought back memories of her old life. She had always woken up before Poe, and he would always stumble out of bed, his hair deliciously tousled from sleep, stubble on that strong jaw of his scratching her chin as he planted a kiss to her lips while she cooked him breakfast. ‘Morning, babe,’ he would say, and Rey had always known that he would be there for her.

 

And then, of course, he wasn’t. All because they were in the wrong place at the wrong time.

 

Rey could feel Clyde watching her, and she found she didn’t mind those dark, sensual eyes on her. Her boss was definitely the sweetest, kindest – and downright sexiest – man she had met since she had lost Poe. She had gathered he had an interest in her, and if she was in any other situation, she would have pursued their mutual attraction to each other.

 

As it stood, she had secrets to protect. She couldn’t burden anyone else with them. They were her own burden to bear.

 

It didn’t take her long to cook, and as she pushed the memories of her old life aside, Rey set a plate in front of Clyde, smiling at him as she took the seat next to his, her own plate in front of her. Clyde grinned as he bit into his bacon before declaring, “Perfect burnt bacon. Are ya sure Mellie ain’t been teachin’ ya how to cook for me or somethin’?”

 

Rey matched his grin with one of her own as she started to eat. “Nope. Maybe I just have a sixth sense for how Clyde Logan likes his bacon cooked.”

 

They ate in companionable silence, and Rey realized she felt really comfortable with Clyde. He didn’t make her feel like she had to fill the silence with conversation, or that she had to pretend to be someone she wasn’t. He didn’t pry, he didn’t flirt – he was just  _ there _ . Soft, sweet, safe and strong.

 

When they had finished eating and Rey had loaded their plates and silverware into the dishwasher, she looked at Clyde and smiled again, not quite ready to tell him to leave. She was lonely, if she was honest with herself, and she wanted someone to talk to, for once.

 

“Wanna watch a movie or something? It usually takes me a while to wind down after a shift.” Rey gestured towards the living room, and Clyde nodded, standing and shuffling towards the living room. He settled himself onto her couch, and Rey sat beside him, grabbing the remote to bring up her streaming services on her television.

 

“So, what’ll it be, Clyde? Action? Drama? Rom-com? You look like an action kind of man, am I right?” Rey looked over at Clyde, and she was momentarily breathless at the look in his eyes as he looked at her.

 

“Whatever ya wanna watch, Rey. I spend most of my time readin’, I hardly ever turn my tv on,” Clyde mumbled, his eyes never leaving hers. He didn’t care what they watched – he just wanted to be near Rey. She didn’t expect things from him, didn’t make him try to have meaningless conversations about the weather or anything else. She didn’t stare at his arm, either, which thrilled him to some level. No, he could just be himself around her, and she accepted him for who he was.

 

_ I could love this woman _ , he thought to himself as she selected something to watch.

 

Rey tried to concentrate on the movie, but she had seen it many times before, so she instead watched Clyde when she thought she could get away with it.  _ His hair _ , she thought to herself,  _ I want to run my fingers through it. I bet it is so soft. And those lips. I bet they are soft too. Dammit, Rey, stop it. You’re not going to fall for your boss. You can’t fall for your boss. _

 

As the ending credits to the movie played, Rey looked over at Clyde, who had drifted off to sleep at some point. She took a few moments to watch him sleep, admiring his gorgeous face, which had softened somewhat in sleep.

 

“Clyde?” Rey said softly, biting her lip softly to avoid giggling as he snorted before opening his eyes slowly, blinking sleepily as he looked over at her.

 

“Yeah?” His hair had fallen into his face, and she itched to brush it back onto his head, but instead, she settled for smiling at him.

 

“You fell asleep. Why don’t you stretch out on the couch for the rest of the night? I can get you a blanket and pillow.”

 

“Mmmph, k,” Clyde mumbled, closing his eyes again and stretching out across the couch, and Rey once more found herself stifling a giggle. For as big as he was – Clyde was the softest, sweetest man she had ever met. It was so endearing. He took up the whole couch – in fact, his legs were hanging off from the knees down, and his neck was on the armrest in an awkward position. She couldn’t very well let him sleep like that.

 

She shook him again after making what might be the worst – or best – decision of her life.

 

“Clyde?” Rey said softly as she shook his shoulder.

 

“Mmm yeah?” Clyde didn’t bother opening his eyes this time.

 

“Clyde, um, look… you’re tired, and… I’d need another whole couch just for you to fit on it. So… tonight, you can sleep in my bed.” Rey waited for a moment, and Clyde finally opened one eye to look at her.

 

“I can’t take your bed. I’ll just stay here. I could drive home too. Ain’t right, me takin’ your bed when you need to sleep too.” Clyde sat up now, his eyes squinting as he looked at her.

 

“Who says you’d be taking my bed? It’s big enough for us both,” Rey replied, swallowing hard as she watched Clyde’s face color and his eyes widen slightly. “Come on, big guy, follow me…” Rey stood and started towards her bedroom, looking back over her shoulder to see a stunned Clyde still sitting on the couch, blinking as he watched her walk away.

 

“Nah, Rey… ain’t right. I mean, we’re friends, and I… um, I like ya and all, but we ain’t in no relationship or nothin’,” Clyde mumbled, his words tumbling over each other in his haste to get them out.

 

“Clyde… you’re too tired to drive. I have a big bed. You get one side, I get the other. It’s that simple. Now, come on,” Rey’s tone was insistent, and so Clyde stood, following her to her bedroom. She pointed to the right side of the bed with a grin, “That’s my side. You take the other.”

 

Clyde nodded, gulping as he watched her for a moment. Rey turned and looked at him for a moment – “And take off your shoes. No shoes are allowed in my bed.”

 

“Y-yes, ma’am,” Clyde said without thinking, watching Rey as she disappeared into the bathroom.

 

When she emerged five minutes later, he was snoring softly on the left side of the bed, and she noted wryly that he had, indeed, taken off his shoes. Grabbing a spare blanket from her linen closet, Rey covered him up gently, taking a moment to take in how perfectly natural he looked lying in her bed.

 

It took a long time for her to fall asleep with her heart beating so hard in her chest.

 

….

 

“Poe, no! POE!”

 

Clyde jerked awake, forgetting where he was for a moment, until he felt the slight body thrashing on the other side of the bed.

 

_ Rey! I feel asleep in Rey’s bed… _

 

The morning light was just beginning to show outside as he reached over, reacting in the only way he could think to – by pulling her body into his arms.

 

“Poe…” Rey sobbed in her sleep, a tear sliding down her face. Clyde had no idea who Poe was, but he knew that whoever he was, he should feel damned lucky to have a woman like Rey crying over him in her dreams.

 

“Shhh, Rey, shhh. It’s alright. I gotcha,” Clyde murmured as he settled back onto the bed, her small frame cradled in the space on the bed beside him. She sniffled once, nuzzling his chest as her head found its way onto it, one arm coming to rest across his chest. He wasn’t about to lie to himself – she felt damn good in his arms, but he was not the kind of man who would ever put the moves on a woman who belonged to someone else.

 

No, he would have to protect his heart and not let himself get too close to Rey. They could be friends and co-workers, but that was it. No more early breakfasts, and no more sleeping in the same bed.

 

“Hmm, so warm,” Rey said softly, her eyes fluttering as she finally settled back into a deep sleep, the remnants of her seemingly bad dream leaving her as she sighed contentedly. Clyde had thought to leave briefly, but he knew he wanted to stay – no matter what it did to his heart, he wanted to stay here with her in his arms.

 

He dozed back off to sleep, awakening when the sunlight came streaming into the room, hitting him in the eyes. Rey was still asleep beside him, her head on his chest and her arm curled around him, and while they were sleeping, she had thrown one leg over his as well – meaning they were a tangled mess of limbs.

 

Somehow, he managed to untangle himself from her, and he tried not to let his heart flutter in his chest at the sight of her, her hair sleep-tousled and her eyelashes fluttering as she stayed asleep. He got up, and as he tied his shoes, he heard her moving in the bed behind him.

 

“Clyde?” Rey asked sleepily as she watched him with half-lidded eyes. “You… you don’t have to leave yet. I slept really good with you here. I felt safe.”

 

His heart clenched in his chest, and he wished he was a different man, a man who would have no problem in putting the moves on another man’s woman. Hs jaw worked for a moment before he resolved himself to what he had to do.

 

“Yeah, I gotta go, Rey. See ya later at work.”

 

When he walked out to his truck, he tried not to notice Mellie and all the other neighbors watching him leave, all with smirks on their faces.

 

The newest gossip would be all around town before the sun set.

 

Clyde Logan had a new gal in his life, the pretty newcomer with the accent.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

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